Napkin dispenser



F. L. BROEREN NAPKINDISPENSER Filed Aug. 14, 1936 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 18, 1937.

F. L. BROEREN NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed Aug. 14, 19?6 May 18, 1937.

2 SheetS-Sh-ee't 2 Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT YOFFICE NAPKIN DISPENSER Application August 14, 1936, Serial No. 96,007

7 Claims.

The dispenser of the present invention is designed for use in the dispensing of paper napkins or the like which are so folded as to present a front free tab through the dispensing slot or orice in position to be grasped by the user. In such circumstances, it is necessary to make provision for the connement of the upper and lower edges of the napkins in the stack while the grasping tab is released for projection intol the slot, so that the tab of a single napkin only will be presented to the user.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of means for conning the upper and lower portions of the foremost napkins in the stack in order to ensure ready withdrawal of only one napkin at a time from the container while retaining the succeeding nap-kins of the stack within the container in dispensing position and at the same time relieving the localized 20k pressure of the stack on the upper and. lower portions of the foremost napkin as it is being withdrawn.

Another object of the invention relates to the provision of a flange for contacting the lower portions of the napkins in order to ensure withdrawal from the dispenser of only one napkin at a time, and to relieve the localized pressure of the stack on the lower portions of the foremost napkin as it is being withdrawn from the dispenser.

Further objects and details will appear from a description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the napkin dispenser of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken through line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional View taken on lines 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken on lines 4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a cover plate used in the dispenser;

Figure 6 is a perspective View, partly in sec tion, of the dispenser with one of the hinged panels opened; and

Figure '7 is a sectional view of the dispenser taken on lines 1 1 of Figure 2.

'I'he drawings show a duplicate apparatus so 50 arranged as to afford two compartments for the reception of two stacks of napkins or the like, with a dispensing slot or orice on each of the two reverse walls of the dispenser, but it will be understood that the description hereinafter given is applicable to both of the divisions of (Cl. S12-62) the device and that the device may be made in single rather than duplicate form if so desired.

As shown, the dispenser is housed within a container comprising side walls.I Il and a top wall Ii integrally formed with the two side walls and roundedat the corners I2, similar to the dispenser disclosed in Patent 2,027,670 Jan. 14, 1936. The side walls are closed at each end by a hinged panel I3 provided with a marginal flange I4 which when closed overlaps the associated edges of the side walls and top to furnish oppositely disposed closures for the containers.

Each of the side panels I is provided in its medial portion with a depressed rectangulari panel portion 3 which is surrounded by obliquely inclined contiguous panels 4 as illustrated' in Figure l. The depressed portions 3 at each side of the panels I0 protrude inside the dispenser and serve to contact the lateral edges of the stack of napkins so as to guide and align them with the dispensing aperture 33 in the front panel.

Each of the panels is provided at its lower edge on the inside with a bar I which is afi'iXed by rivets 53 and which is recurved inwardly to afford tongues I6 which embrace a pintle Il carried by intervening tongues struck upwardly from a bottom edge plate i8 to aiord a hinge joint at each of the lower corners, thereby permitting the oppositely presented panels to open outwardly.

A portion of the upper edge of bar I5 is bent inwardly at an angle of approximately 90 to form a short flange portion 60, as shown in Figure 4, which presses against the lower portions of the foremost napkin in the stack when the hinged panel is in closed position, as shown in Figure 2, and at the same time bows inwardly the lower portions of the foremost napkins in the stack. Flange 60 thus serves to resist the compressive force of the follower plate 31 against the lower portions of the stack of napkins in the dispenser and also serves to retain the lower portions of the napkins in the stack in proper position for dispensing.

When the tab I of the foremost napkin in the stack is grasped and pulled, the lower portion of the napkin is pulled above the flange 60 thereby relieving the pressure of the stack on the lower portion of the napkin, as the ange is spaced away from the front panel, and thus permitting it to be withdrawn readily and smoothly. As the lower portion of the foremost napkin is withdrawn above the ange 60, the corresponding lower portion of the next succeeding napkin and in Vposition to bev grasped by the user.

will be immediately pressed against the flange iid and will be held thereagainst. By relieving the localized pressure of the stack on the lower portion of the foremost napkin, it will also be less likely to stick the next adjacent napkin in the dispenser. This construction thus provides means for ensuring the withdrawal of only one napkin at a time.

The bottom of the container is closed by a floor plate l which at Vits front and rear edges overlies the bottom edge plates I8 and at each side edge overlaps a flange 29 which is inturned from the side wall ld, the bottom plate. being secured in any suitable manner to the plates IS and the iianges to afford a rigid closure` for the bottom of the container.

The front and rear edges of the top wall Il are cut to afford center notches 2l which permit the entry of a tongue 2E downturned from the top portion of the flange if to afford a keeper which operates in conjunction with the latch spring 23 extending from bar 245i which carries a similar latch at each end and secured in its center by a yoke plate secured bybolts 2&3.

The outer end of each latch spring is recurved to afford a hook shaped tooth 28 which when lifted engages the keeper 22 but which may be depressed by th-e insertion of a small object such as a nail or pin through an aperture. 29 in the top wall of the container.

Each of the front panels is configured to afford an outwardly protruding pocket 3S which when the panel closed projects obliquely from the base of the panel, and the sides of the pocket are afforded by upwardly widening portions 3| which spring outwardly from the side margins of the panels. The pocket terminates in a rounded lip which is located somewhat above the center of the panel and which affords the lower margin for a transversely extending slot or aperture The upper margin of the aperture is afforded by a lip 35i on the lower edge of the inwardly dished panel wall which extends obliquely inward throughout its entire extent save at its extreme ends which at 355 are rounded outwardly tol merge into the margins of the panel. The panel is provided with a reentrant curved portion E which merges into the upper part of pocket portion Si, as shown in Figure 1. The inwardly directed portion` 35 contacts the upper portions of the foremost napkin in the stack and resists the pressure exerted on the stac by follower plate 3l thereby outwardly bulging the upper portions of the foremost napkins in the stack as illustrated in Figure 2. As the upper portions of the foremost napkin are withdrawn from they dispenser the portion 35 contacts the corresponding portion of the next succeeding napkin and thereby relieves the pressure of the stack on the foremost napkin as it is being withdrawn. IThis configuration o-f the slot and the contiguous portions of the panel is important in the proper confinement. and dispensing of the napkins or other folded articles.

The lower pocket portion of the panel of a width between the rounded side portions 3| suficient to permit the lower or body portion of the napkins to be pressed forwardly in obliquely standing relation to present the grasping tab of the outermost napkin above the straight lip 32 At the same time the upper edges of the napkins within the stack are restrained by the lip 36 and held along a parallel line above and to the rear of the lip 32.

It will be noted that the napkins here illustrated are so folded as to present a substantially greater thickness of material throughout the lower portion of the stack, that is to say, within the region which includes the shorter free tab portions, while the upper portion ofY the stack comprises those portions of the individual napkins which extend above the level of the tabs.

The configuration of the slotted panel is such as to afford greater fore and aft space in the pocketed region of the panel, which not only provides for greater thickness of the lower po-rtion of the stack but also serves to bulge the stack forwardly in its center portion while the upper portion of the stack is held back and restrained by the lip 3:1. This bulging of the stack in the region adjacent to the slot serves to free the outermost grasping tabl from ooniinement and permit it to project freely from the adjacent confined portion of the napkin to which it is attached, so that ample clearance is afforded to permit the user to readily graspthe tab thus presented and withdraw the outermost napkin from the dispenser.

This facility of manipulation, is. increased by the rearward dishing of the upper portion 35 of the panel, which thus affords a slot or aperture standing in a plane inclined substantially 45 to a vertical plane and allowing for the ready insertion of the finger behind the foremost tab. At the same time the arrangement is such that the outermost napkin prior to withdrawal will substantially close they aperture so that it will not be feasible to secure grasping contact with the upperl edges of the napkins while confined within the container. The arrangement also prevents the ingress of dust, dirt or foreign material through the aperture and protects all of the napkins behind the ou ermost napkin from possibility of soil or contamination.

Each stack of napkins is fed forwardlyrby means of a follower plate 31 which is of generally rectangular conguration and is cut away in its upper portion to afford a recess 38 leaving side tongues on each side of the recess. The lower portion 35a of each of the side tongues'is bent inwardly out of the plane of the follower plate Sland the upper portion, 39 is bent forwardly so as to be parallel to the main body 31.

This configuration of the follower plate assists f in the forward bowing or bulging of the stack toward the dispensing aperture.

The follower is provided with a pair of rearwardly extending flanges 40 which are struck out from the body of the plate and each of the anges is provided with a vertical slot 4l which Vaffords a guide for hook 42 laterally projecting from the free end of a link bar d provided at its upper end with ears i5 which are pivotcd upon a center pintle lit supported between 'tongues 41 inwardly turned from the yoke bar The two link plates are thrust outwardly from the center point of pivotal suspension by the ends of a coil spring 48 which encircles the pintle 46 so that the link bars will exert an outward sliding thrust against the respective follower plates.

Alplatc l', shown in Figure 5, is attached on the inside of the top panel l i at the flanged por tions "l i. A perforated portion 'l2 is provided for permitting free play of the hinged link bars 44.

The flat portion of the plate l@ extending within the container serves to prevent excessive downward movement of the latch spring 23 and prevents entanglement of the upper portions of the napkins with the latch. The flat portion of the plate I0 alsov acts as a guide for the upper edges of the napkin stack as shown in Figures 2 and 6.v

Furthermore when the foremost napkin is pulled out from the dispenser at the moment when the lower portion of the napkin is released from engagement from the flange 69 the upper edge of the napkin will be held in proper dispensing position as it is in contact with the plate 7B.

The two compartments within the container are separated by a partition wall 50 extending from side to side and secured by anges 5l to the side walls li).

In use, the napkins are inserted by unlatching the front panels and allowing them to swing outwardly, which permits a stack of napkins to be inserted into each of the compartments in advance of the respective follower plates. Each follower plate being freely and slidably carried upon the end of its link bar 64 will adjust itself to the rear surface presented by the stack of napkins, and, as the stack is depleted by successive withdrawals, the point of application of pressure will be progressively elevated to a greater and greater distance above the base of the stack. Since the base portion of the stack is thicker than the upper portion by the inclusion of the napkin tabs, the follower is thus permitted to change its angle of contact as required in the progressive depletion of the stack and to accommodate itself to the variation in the plane of confinement of the forward portion of the stack due to inequalities in the configuration of the slotted forward panel. Furthermore, the configuration of the follower plate assists in the application of the required pressure against the center portion of the stack to bow the same forwardly and thus insure a proper presentation of the outermost tab through the slot.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that in its formation and method of advancement, the follower plate coacts with the specially formed and pocketed panel in applying the proper compression to insure delivery of all of the napkins, so that even when the stack becomes largely depleted, the remaining napkins will be properly presented for successive removal singly and without displacement or entanglement with one another.

The provision of the inwardly directed flange 60 ensures the withdrawal of only one napkin at a time, as when the foremost napkin is pulled out by grasping the tab portion l the follower plate will immediately push the nap-kin stack forwardly and bring the corresponding lower portions of the neXt succeeding napkin in the stack into engagement with flange thereby holding it in place. The inwardly directed portion 35 similarly permits release of the upper portions of the foremost napkin and at the same time retains the succeeding napkins within the dispenser.

Furthermore the stack of napkins is positively guided at all its edges in relation to the dispensing slot by means of plate 'ID which guides the upper edge, the depressed lateral panels 3 which guide the side edges, and the bottom I9 which supports and guides the lower edges as shown in Figure 7.

Although in the invention as shown the dispenser is so positioned as to bring the slot o-r aperture 33 into horizontal relation to the body of the dispenser, it is not the intention to limit the features described to a dispenser standing in this position, since the dispenser as a whole might be so disposed as to bring the slot into vertical relation without substantial change or alteration in any of the features described. It will therefore be understood that in the claims where such eX- pressions occur as upper and lower, or expressions dening the relationship of the parts to the plane of the earth, such expressions are employed for purposes of convenient reference and not for the purpose of limiting the invention to a dispenser standing in the vertical relationship shown and described.

I claim:

l. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a container for a stack of napkins or the like when folded to stand on their lower edges and to each present a free grasping tab terminating on a line below its upper edge, said container including a panel having a dispensing opening, means for pressing the stack of napkins toward said dispensing opening, means for engaging the upper portions of the foremost napkin in the stack, said upper napkin engaging means being adapted to outwardly bulge the upper portions of the foremost napkins in the stack, an inwardly protruding ilange portion aiXed to the container for engaging the lower portions of the foremost napkin of the stack, said lower napkin engaging means being adapted to bow inwardly the lower portions of the foremost napkins in the stack, said upper and lower napkin engaging means permitting successive single withdrawals of the foremost napkin in the stack while retaining the next succeeding napkins within the container in dispensing position, and relieving the localized pressure of the stack on the foremost napkin at the said upper and lower portions as it is being withdrawn from the container.

2. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a container for a stack of napkins or the like when folded to stand on their lower edges and to each present a free grasping tab terminating on a line below its upper edge, said container including a panel having a dispensing opening, means for pressing the stack of napkins toward said dispensing opening, means for engaging the upper portions of the foremost napkin in the stack, an inwardly protruding ange portion amXed to the container for engaging the lower portions of the foremost napkin of the stack, said lower napkin engaging means being adapted to bow inwardly the lower portions of the foremost napkins in the stack, said upper and lower napkin engaging means permitting successive single withdrawals of the foremost napkin in the stack while retaining the next succeeding napkins within the container in dispensing position, and relieving the localized pressure of the stack on the foremost napkin at the said upper and lower portions as it is being withdrawn from the container.

3. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a container for a stack of napkins or the like when folded to stand on their lower edges and to each present a free grasping tab terminating on a line below its upper edge, said container including a hinged front panel having a dispensing opening, means for pressing the stack of napkins toward said dispensing opening, means for engaging the upper portions of the foremost napkin in the stack, a flange portion afiiXed to the lower portion of said front panel and extending inwardly within the container, for engaging the lower portions of the foremost napkin of the stack, said upper and lower napkin engaging means permitting successive single Withdrawals of the foremost napkin in the stack while retaining the next succeeding napkins within the container in dispensing position, and relieving the localized pressure of the stack on the foremost napkin at the said upper and lower portions as it is being withdrawn from the container.

4. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a container for a stack of napkins or the like when folded to stand on their lower edges and 'to each present a free grasping tab terminating on a linebelow its upper edge, said container including a panel having a dispensing opening, means for pressing the stack of napkins toward said dispensing opening, means for engaging the upper portions of the foremost napkin in the stack, inwardly protruding fiange means for engaging the lower portions of the foremost napkin of the stack, said upper and lower napkin engaging means permitting successive single withdrawals of the foremost napkin in the stack while retaining the next succeeding napkins within the container in dispensing position, and relieving the localized pressure of the stack on the foremost napkin at the said upper and lower portions as it is being withdrawn from the cont-ainer.

5. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a container for a stack of napkins or the like when folded to stand on their lower edges and to each present a free grasping tab terminating on a line below its upper edge, said container including a front panel having a dispensing opening, cooperating side panels, said side panels having means for guiding the stack of napkins and aligning them in proper relation to said dispensing opening, means for pressing the stack of napkins toward said dispensing opening, means for engaging the upper portions of the foremost napkin in the stack, inwardly protruding flange means for engaging the lower portions of the foremost napkin of the stack, said upper and lower napkin engaging means permitting successive single withdrawals of the foremost napkin in the stack while retaining the next succeeding napkins within the container in dispensing position, and relieving the localized pressure of the stack on the foremost napkin at the said upper and lower'portions as it is being withdrawn from the container.

6. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of -a container for a stack of napkins or the like when folded to stand on their lower edges and to each present a, free grasping tab terminating on a line below its upper edge, said container including a front panel having a dispensing opening, cooperating side panels, said side panels having inwardly depressed portions for contacting the edges of the stack of napkins to guide them as they are fed forwardly in aligned position with relation to'said dispensing opening, means for pressing the stack of napkins tov ward said dispensing opening, means for engaging the upper portions of the foremost napkin in the stack, inwardly protruding flange means for engaging the lower portions of the foremost napkin of the stack, said upper and lower napkin engaging means permitting successive single withdrawals of the foremost napkin in the stack while retaining the next succeeding napkins within the container in dispensing position, and relieving the localized pressure of the stack on the foremost napkin at the said upper and lower portions as it is being withdrawn from the container.

'7. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a container for a stack of napkins or the like when folded to stand on their lower edges and to each present a free grasping t-ab terminating on a line below its upper edge, said container including a front hinged panel having a dispensing opening, cooperating side panels, said side panels having inwardly depressed portions for contacting the side edges of the stack of napkins to guide them as they are fed forwardly in aligned position with relation to said dispensing opening, means for pressing the stack of napkins toward said dispensing opening, means for engaging the upper portions of the foremost napkin in the stack, a flange affixed to the lower portion of said front hinged panel and extending inwardly within the container for eng-aging the lower portions of the foremost napkin of the stack, said upper and lower napkin engaging means permitting successive single withdrawals of the foremost napkin in the stack while retaining the next succeeding napkins within the container in dispensing position, and relieving the localized pressure of the stack on the foremost napkin at the said upper and lower portions as it is being withdrawn from the container.

FRANK L. BROEREN. 

